Method of and machine for forming wire-glass.



PATBNTED JUNE 12,Y 1906. N. PRANZBN.

METHOD. 0F AND MACHINE POR PORMING WIRE GLASS.

wn-Nesssszv APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. 1905.

citizen of the U nited States, residingat Dunl UNITED STATES.;

PATENT OFFICE-i "NioKLAs, FBANZEN, or. DUNBAR, PENNSYLVANIA, AssiGNoa To WILLIAM L. Minuto,- or PnrsBUaor,v PENNsYLvANiA. 5.

" "'ME'THOD oF ANpMAoHiNE Fon FBMlNeiwiREFGL/iss'.

.Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1 2, 1 906.

Applioati'onle-d une '7,19 05. Serial N o. 264:,139. i

Tn all 'whom/t rita/ 1! concern/:

Be it known `that I, NicKLAs FRANZEN, a

bar, in the'- county of Fayetteand Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented or. discovered a certain" new'y and useful im rovement -ln Methods of and Machinesfor orining Wire-' Glass, ofwhich improvement the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements m methods of and machines' for making wire-- glass and the object of my improvement is-to produce a superior product-a sheet of wireglass free from defects incident to its production -hy means and processes now commonly employed. f

My invention is illustrated vdiagnammaticailyin the accompanying drawings, Where.

Figure 1 is a` view in longitudinal section of a machine embodying m improvement and in the 'operation of W 'chmy improved method may be followed, and Fig. 2';is a view,

in elevation and on -`largllrscale of the distributing-roll of the mac vne of Fig. 1.

forming-surface and a spreader'for distributing glass thereon'. The'forming-surface `is preierablya table 1, andthe spreader a roll 2. These partsare relatively movable, and to Y ythat' end in the embodiment illustrated table i is mounted on wheels 3,.Whereon it travels beneath roll 2. yA finisher is preferably ern-f ployed for bringin the glass distributed by the spreader to its nal form, Suchainisher is illustrated in-roll 4, which. is conveniently .arranged to remainin fixed position relativeto roll 2, tablel travelingbeneath both'rolls.

I have not indicated the adjustabilityof rolls 2 and 4 relative to table 1. Suchadjustabilfity well known, and it is necessary'to the present invention only that the rolls be suit-h' ably spaced above thetableto' `accomplish the ends described; 1

The spreader fis' provided with a series of openings of'such size and 'so'disposed that as 1 molten glass is distributedu'pon the formingsurfac'e .into a fabric-.facedlayerin the man- 'ner to be described portions of this molten enel-al level vI naterial risingl above the through the fabric and into t ese openin s will form Iteatelike protuberances upon t e acterof material Eand Without contact with a matrix, will remain unchilled, thelr rsurfaces unhardened, andthe glass of which' f they are composed will remain molten. They may therefore bespread lnto' a layer by the iinisher in the mannerpresently to be. dei' scribed. 1

In the form` illustrated the spreader 'a l roll 2, and the' openings in it .are pit-like pockets`5 of cylindrical form. `As the roll'dist1ib' futes molten glass upon the table air will be in-.

cluded in these pockets, and the air thusineluded will in each'pocket formacushion, insulating ,the protruding molten lassY from chilling oli-freezing contact .witht epocket- Wallsg."` H.

' The finisher' serves to reduce the molten pi'otuberances left by the spreader to a rontinuous upper layer, covering the fab ricifaced 1 lower layer and 'forming therewith the finished sheet.

Itis shown in the as a ro'll'4 of less. diametenthan s .'reading-rolll 2. By

employing aiinishing-roil of smaller size than the 'distribiiting-.roll I secure a superior surF face iinish.

The machme consists, essentially, of la Suitable means may be emplo ed for fced- -ing the fabric tol the surface of t .e distrilmt-N ing-roll. To this 'end thev drawings show a chute Sand flattening-rollsQ, from which av sheet offabric'B is in the act .of passing to roll' 7 may be employed in front. of

and at veither end of distributing-roll 2 forthe Y usual purpose of confining the glass laterally. and forming a sheet of .deiinite Width. refer tollfiave no guns between rolls 2 and 4, or the sheet will at that point be .of iixed width, and any surplus glass rolled down from the protuberances may In the absence of guns find lateral escape. My invention lfurti-ier consists in the `method followed ,in operatin the machine thus described. ,-Molten glass-1s tesmed upon the forming-surface The spread er distri'b...

utes't-his molten glass into -a layer andat the same "timev a plies to the layer which it thus.

forms the fa ric to be incorporated in the iinished sheet. This fabric-faced -layer thus spread bears upon its surface protuberances of molten glass which under the ressure Witl 'which the spreader 1s applied .lave exufled through the fabric into the openingswith `which the spreader is provided; The molten protujberances in' turn are spread by the fing .sher into a continuous laver, cov ermg and roc ' ished sheet of wire-glass.

Fig. 1 of the drawings shows the machine -in the course of operation.

A web of fabric B extends from chute 8, between flatteningrolls 9, over the surface of roll 2, and thence rearward. A batch of molten glass A has been lteemed on the table in front of roll 2. Roll 4 is arranged rearward of roll 2. Table 1 is moving beneath the rolls in the direction indicated by the arrow a. As the rolls thus advance over table 1 the molten glass is formed into a layer upon which the fabric is coincidently spread. The thickness of the layer, and accordingly the position of the fabric, is determined y the distance at which roll 2 issu ported above the table. The fabric-faced lllzayer thus formed bears u on its surface protuberances of molten g ass b, formed in pockets of'roll 2 in the manner already described. `Upon the number and size of these rotuberances will depend the thickness. of e glass above the fabric in the finished sheet, the finishing-roll being spaced proper accord. This fabric-faced la er bearinguthe protuberances passes next eneath roll 4, which is so spaced above the tableto effect the end in view, as will readily beunderstood, and in passing beneath roll 4 the protuberances b are spread into a continnous u per layer extending upon and uniting `.with.t e fabio-faced lower layer to form the completed sheet of wire-glass. Itwillbeunderstoodthatthe rctuberances ofmolten glass formed upon t e initial fab- .':ric-faced layer may when released from the kconfining conformation of the spreader flow or spread somewhat, and in such case may *tion to which it has been` brought by the the term fa ric to the material which is assistl in maintaining the fabric in the posispreader.

In the fore oing description I have applied incorporated in the sheet of lass and which is its characteristic feature. n'the common practieeof to-day this material is a netting of wire. Under. the term fabric I mean to include not only this well-known material, but,

any other material .which one may wish to use and whose qualities and sha e are such as to ermiti'ts application to -t e end del," scribed).

Some vof the following claims are n ot limited to the projection of the glass into the air-retaining cavities through the meshes of a fabric, for it is my purposeto use the same expedient' in `s reading plates of glass, whether the fabric be incorporated in this or in some other manner, as well as in the fabric. The expedlentis applicable gener- -allymweas. where sii-spreading operation is agrement distinct from a smoth'mg @ritira Amy hand. 'r spreading of plate-glass not provided with face; second, simultaneously spreading said batch of molten glass to layerform7 applying tol the surface thereof a fabric, and causin separated -or segregated portions of sai batch of molten glass to rise through said fabric inprotuberances of molten or unchilled glass g and, finally, spreadin said protuberances into a layer upon said faric-fac'ed layer, substantially as described.

2. The herein-described method of making wire-glass whichconsists in,fi1'st, introducing a sheet of faliii' between a body of molten glass and a pitt'ed spreading-roll", second, si-

multaneously spreadin the body of moltenl glass to layer form-.wit ,the fabric covering the surface thereof, and causing separated or segregated portions of the molten glass to exude or pass throughthe fabric into the pit- '.like pockets of the spreading-roll, but Without solidifyin contact with the walls thereof.; and, final spreading said protuberances of unhardened glass into a layer over said fabric-covered surface, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for making wire-glassthe combination of a forming-surface', means for simultaneously spreadin molten glass into a layer thereon, applying abric to the surface thereof and causing separated or segregatedv portions of the molten glass to eXude through the fabric 'in teat-like projections unchilled by contact with a matrix, and means for spreading said teat-like projections upon said fabric-faced layer, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for makin wire-glass the combination of a forming-sur ace, means for spreading upon said forming-surface a sheet of glass, the surface of said spreading means beine` provided with air-including cavities in whidh air is retained by the molten glass insulating the glass from cooling contact with the s reading means, and means for finishing the s eet of glass so spread, substantially as described.

5. Avdistributing-roll for a wirelass machine having a pluralit of air-inclu ing cavities in its surface in w 'ch air is retained by the molten glass insulating the l lass from cooling contact with said roll, su stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set NICKLAS FRANZEN.

Witnesses: 1

W. II. Wrtrnins, Taos. N. TAYLOR;

IOC 

